


The Shadow Risers

by amethystangel228 (whitedragonpriestess228)



Series: The Shadow Risers [4]
Category: DC Animated Universe, DC Elseworlds, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alien Invasion, Aliens, Gen, Mentioned connection to the DCU, Metahumans, Multi, Murder, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Male Character(s) - Freeform, Otherwise fanfiction involving my OCs, Superheroes, Swearing, Vigilantism, vigilantes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 07:45:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7882678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitedragonpriestess228/pseuds/amethystangel228
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aisling Drummond got the birthday gift of a lifetime when she found out she could control shadows. Of course she then decides she wants to use her powers for good and decides to become a vigilante. The downside? She's fourteen. </p>
<p>Unluckily for her, the mob doesn't care that the new thorn in their side doesn't even know how to drive yet... </p>
<p>This is the story of my DC OCs, the Shadow Risers, from start to finish. I may end up separating the different arcs into separate stories/works if it ends up long enough, but for now it'll just be all together here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue, Part One: Lydia

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything therein. I do not own anything outside of my characters and their home area. 
> 
> Claimer: Cedar Creek is mine, as are the two surrounding towns Leona & McElroy. The Shadow Risers are mine. Their villains are mine unless otherwise stated.

Christmas was right around the corner and Lydia wasn't ready at all. She'd gotten the house decorated inside -- Adam had done the outside -- and she had done a little bit of shopping. Baking and gift-wrapping just seemed impossible with a three-month-old and a two-year-old! Thankfully it was time for Maggie's nap and Sean was happily gurgling to himself (or his Pooh Bear) on the floor nearby. 

Lydia hummed to herself as she pulled another tray of cookies out and put a pie in. She was moving to decorate some cooled cookies when she noticed Sean's gurgling had stopped. Her heart seized as she stepped around the island to see him... staring intently at his Pooh Bear plush. 

"Baby, you scared me!" she breathed, starting to laugh before the sound choked as her baby began to sprout orange fur. "Sean!" she shrieked as she rushed forward to pick him up. 

Before she'd taken two steps, her baby boy had been replaced with a second Pooh Bear. She picked him up with shaky hands and let out a whimper before he suddenly turned back into her Sean. She stared at him with wide eyes while he laughed happily. 

"Mommy?" Maggie's voice broke through her daze. "Is ok?" the toddler yawned. Lydia quickly shifted Sean to a more secure hold and smiled at her little girl. 

"Yes, honey; everything's fine!" she replied, hugging Sean to her chest and moving to usher Maggie back into the living room to finish her nap. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Three months later Lydia was driving to her brother's house with Maggie and Sean in tow. It was the beginning of March and the weather still sucked, but she hadn't seen Casey since Christmas and she missed him. He only lived an hour away and she felt like she never saw him! 

She listened to Maggie singing along to the radio and smiled, keeping her focus on the road. She really wished Adam was home because she hated driving in snow! They were almost to Casey's though and so far, so good. The roads actually weren't that bad today... After a few more miles she noticed a black car flying up behind her and scowled. 

"What the hell?" she muttered as she carefully shifted lanes to get out of their way. As she did, she wished there were more cars around. This person shouldn't be driving so fast in this weather! 

Then the black car shifted lanes behind her, sending her into confusion... before it began to speed up further and her heart started pounding. What was with this person? What was going on?! She jerked into the other lane to avoid the collision, but the other car followed again and slammed into her bumper. The car began to spin and Maggie's scream was her last memory. 

Witnesses stopped and got the kids out -- both miraculously unharmed -- but by the time the police and ambulance arrived, both the black car and Lydia Reynolds were long gone. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	2. Prologue, Part 2: Arthur

Leaves blew around outside his window and Artie hated them. He hated everything right now, huddled in his bed on Halloween and told he couldn't go out because he was sick. His head hadn't stopped hurting all week and he hadn't been able to eat or drink for two days. 

But it was Halloween! He could try and keep it together for at least an hour to go and get some candy! He was supposed to be dressed up as Alvin this year! He huffed and rolled onto his side carefully, not wanting to jog his head too much. 

"Hey baby," his mom called from the door, her voice kept low for his sake. "Aisling wants to come see you before her and Daddy go out. That ok?" 

"No." 

"Come on, Arthur, don't be like that," she said gently, smiling at his pouting face. 

"Fine," he grumbled at last. Then he was staring into his sister's big, sad green eyes. 

"Hi," she said quietly. 

"Hi," he replied. 

"How's your head?" 

"...Still hurts a lot," he admitted quietly. "I still wanna go though." 

"I want you to come, but Mommy and Daddy said you're sick," Aisling huffed. 

"Save some candy for me?" Artie pouted at her. 

"Ok!" she nodded, leaning over to give him a big hug. She really was the best little sister, even if she was a rotten brat most of the time. 

Artie smiled and settled into his bed to try sleeping, hearing her and their dad leave. A few minutes later he was dozing and the pain in his head intensified sharply. Then it was just...gone. 

He felt like he was floating, but he could feel the weight of his blanket. Then he felt a breeze on his face and was staring up at his father. He tried to turn his head or speak, but he couldn't! He and his dad walked up to a house and he recognized Mrs. Karkozowski. 

"Hello Aisling, hello Eddie; how are you two?" she greeted. 

_'Aisling?!'_ he squawked in his own mind before his eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright, the thought _'I wish Artie was here'_ echoing in his mind mingled with intense sadness. His head was fine now... 

"MOM!!" he called, scrambling out of bed while he listened to her thundering footsteps. 

\--------------------------- Ten years later... 

"Ace!" Meryl Drummond called up the stairs, waiting for her fourteen-year-old to respond. "Aisling!" she tried again, to no avail. "Damn it..." she grumbled as she headed for the stairs. 

"She's outside, Mom!" her son Arthur called from the kitchen. 

"Thank you!" Meryl replied, turning and walking into the kitchen. "When did you get home, Artie? I thought you were at Rachel's?" 

"Just walked in the back. That's how I know where Tweet was; I saw her outside," he smiled. 

"Oh, alright," Meryl chuckled. "Well I'm headed to the theater. Keep an eye on your sister?" 

"Of course, Mom," Artie nodded, accepting a kiss to his cheek before his mother bustled out. He sighed and went to the back door to watch his sister playing with the shadows under her favorite tree. 

He'd learned over the last decade how to block thoughts and emotions, but he always kept in tune to Ace's. Right now she was scared. He'd felt her power growing over the last year and knew this was coming. It had finally happened less than ten minutes ago, while she'd been reading under that tree...  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	3. Aisling

The house was quiet and she was pretty sure everyone was sleeping. If not, it was summer vacation, so her staying up to read wasn't a huge problem. It was if they saw the shadows twisting and weaving around her hands that there would be trouble. Of the 'I need an old priest and a young priest' variety. Her parents were pretty level-headed, but seeing your child control the shadows? Anybody would lose it a little bit. 

Ace watched the fractals she made with the shadows, smiling at the odd greyscale beauty. This had started earlier today and she didn't understand what it was or where it had come from. She had just been sitting under the tree in the backyard reading. She'd had a brief thought of it being very bright outside and then...it wasn't. When she'd looked up to see why, she'd found a strange kind of darkness just sort of shrouding her. 

She'd found that she could control it with her thoughts, but after a bit her head had started pounding too hard to keep playing. Good thing too, because Artie had called to her from the door a few moments later! Her headache had gone away not long ago and she was eager to try these weird powers out again... 

The shadows stopped making fractals and began to make shapes, then little figures. Her lips twitched as the figures began to dance around under her control. _'Cool!'_

She bit her bottom lip in concentration and the shadows spread out like a large blanket. The blanket fell on her then and she felt a surprising warmth. She was enveloped in darkness, but it was comforting. She just wanted to sink into it. A sigh escaped her as her eyes closed. She jerked then, her eyes shooting open as she sat bolt upright. In her backyard, under the tree. 

"Whoa..." she breathed as she climbed to her feet. How had she even done that? Ace sighed and bit her lip, pulling her sheet up around her shoulders to try and recreate the phenomenon. Her head started to ache before she could tap back into it. "Ugh!" she growled in frustration. "It wasn't a fluke! I know I can do it again!" she hissed to herself. 

Artie watched from his window, having been awakened by her panic. His lips twitched at the waves of frustration. 

"It takes time, Tweet. Your powers don't just come into full strength and control overnight," he muttered. Even his power hadn't done that! He sighed as she continued to try. 

Finally her frustration became exhaustion and he caught the thought of _'I just want to go to bed...'_ before shadows swallowed his sister. (He wasn't too proud to admit that he'd jumped.) Seconds later there was a soft 'thump' from Ace's room and he snorted. "Good job, kiddo." 

In her room Ace was celebrating a little by dancing around the room. She'd done it! She had used the shadows to teleport! She muffled an excited squeal and flopped into bed, already planning to test her power more in the morning. 

\--------------------------- 

Arthur was not liking where Aisling's thoughts were headed lately. She'd manifested two weeks ago now, just a few days after her fourteenth birthday, and had been working with her powers almost nonstop since then. It was certainly more dedication than he had! Sadly it also meant that her powers were growing rapidly. Too rapidly in his opinion. 

And these thoughts? She wanted to use her powers to help people. Wonderful. He'd be the first to admit that it would be nice to see someone out there stopping criminals... just not his baby sister! Artie looked up from his book, watching Ace help their mother with dinner. 

Dad was on duty tonight and Mom had the police scanner on. Typically Ace and Artie paid it no mind; tonight Ace was listening intently and chewing her bottom lip. Her thoughts were whirling too fast for him to catch more than concepts. She wanted to help and felt it was her responsibility to do so because of her gifts. She just didn't want to get in trouble and didn't want their dad to get in trouble at work. 

She also wasn't paying attention to dinner, which meant it was going to end up burnt; their mom was an awful cook. 

"Ack! Mom, no!" Ace yelped then, drawing a snicker from her older brother while their mother tried to season the food. 

"What?" Meryl blinked. 

"Too much!" 

"Of what?" 

"Everything!" Ace laughed, taking the seasonings away from their mom. 

"Well I didn't know that!" Meryl huffed, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Aren't you supposed to keep an eye on me while we cook?" 

"Shouldn't it be the other way around, Mom?" Ace teased with a roll of her eyes. 

"I'm not the one being a space case!" Meryl snorted. 

"Yeah, that's Artie," Ace grinned, drawing a laugh from their mother and a "Hey!" from him. 

And he caught a concrete thought from her then: _'I have to. I want to protect Mom, Dad, and Artie; I want to help people. It's worth it.'_  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


End file.
